- Title: FRANCE: MAURESMO VILLAGE.
- Date: 30th January 1999
- Summary: MERU, FRANCE (50 KMS NORTHWESTERN PARIS), FRANCE (JANUARY 29, 1999) 1. VARIOUS SHOTS OF MERU 2. VARIOUS SHOTS OF THE TENNIS CLUB 3. TENNIS PLAYERS TRAINING 4. SET UP SHOT OF MAURESMO'S SPARING PARTNER YVES N'GORAN 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) YVES N'GORAN SAYING: "I know her courage, the way she fights on a tennis court and I had the feeling that this year would be good for her and that she would have a good chance of winning. She already worried Hingis twice last year." 6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) GERARD OGUEZ, DIRECTOR OF MERU TENNIS CLUB SINCE 1985 SAYING : "She was 11 years old when she won the Oise tournament in 1990 (regional competition) beating seniors. Just by looking at her progress each year, we thought she would become a champion. I'm not at all amazed by her scores. After three or four years of training I said she would be our future French Navratilova." 7. VARIOUS SHOTS OF PHOTOS 8. WIDE OF THE VARIOUS CUPS WON BY MAURESMO Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th February 1999 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MERU, PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA3SBMN2S0PL7NIQ7H6WRK5CA7O
- Story Text: Nineteen year-old French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo
who trained for several years in Meru, a village only 50
kilometres northwest of Paris, sent shockwaves around
Melbourne Park on Thursday with her intimidating destruction
of the world No 1 Lindsay Davenport in the semi-final.
On the eve of the biggest match of her short career,
friends and players at Meru tennis club on Friday (January 29)
spoke of their belief in how they thought rising French star
Amelie Mauresmo would fulfil her talent.
The unseeded player, who lost to world number two Martina
Hingis (6-2, 6-3) in the final of the Australian Open on
Saturday (January 30), started her tennis career at a tennis
club in Meru, some 50 kilometres north west of Paris.
Yves N'Goran from the tennis club believes Hingis will
have a fight on her hands."I know her courage, the way she
fights on a tennis court and I had the feeling that this year
would be good for her and that she would have a good chance of
winning.She already worried Hingis twice last year."
Tennis club director Grard Oguez said she was most
promising."She was 11 years old when she won the Oise
tournament in 1990 (a regional competition) beating seniors.
Just by looking at her progress each year, we thought she
would become a champion.I'm not at all amazed by her scores.
After three or four years of training I said she would be our
future French Navratilova."
Mauresmo started as the rank outsider in her first Grand
Slam final, and did not lack for motivation following personal
remarks made about her by her opponent and the world number
one Lindsay Davenport.
But the world's top two women's players denied on Friday
(January 29) they were talking about anything but tennis when
they said Mauresmo was like a man.The 19-year-old has
powerful shoulders and a game to match.
She is also openly gay and speaks freely about her
relationship with a woman who travels with her on the tour.
But the player was said by her coach to be angered by
comments from Davenport and a remark attributed to the
defending champion Hingis.
Mauresmo was the world junior champion in 1996, winning at
Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None